OUTREACH

Kid Connects

OVERVIEW

Early Childhood Services

Kid Connects, a program of Mental Health Partners, is here to support children and their care providers by offering resources, screenings, referrals, consultations, and more. Our dedicated Kid Connects team has served the Boulder and Broomfield region since 1997. Our goal is to improve developmental and mental health outcomes for children and families by increasing the capacity of caregivers to respond to the social and emotional needs of young children.

Get Started

Available services:
- One-on-one early childhood mental health consultations to support challenging behaviors
- One-on-one coaching to support the caregiver’s relationship with the child
- Professional development and trainings focused on early childhood mental health and growth
- Developmental screenings
- Resources (digital and in-person) to support early learning
- Networking with similar caregivers
- Referrals to outside agencies and partners for additional support

GET STARTED

Request an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation

Ready to get support? Call the Colorado Early Childhood Mental Health Support Line at (833) 326-4411 – or follow the link to request services.

Request a Consultation

SERVICES

Ensuring better health outcomes for young children and families

The Kid Connects model is informed by the latest research on attachment and early relationships. The program has a strong foundation in child development theory, and delivers developmentally appropriate practices that are effective and clinically sound. Kid Connects provides the right level of service at the right time.

For parents, caregivers, and families

Kid Connects aims to improve the capacity of caregivers to respond to the social and emotional needs of young children (ages 0-5) by:

Improving health, developmental, and mental health outcomes for young children
Reducing expulsions from early care
Creating mentally healthy learning environments for all young children and their caregivers
Working with specific families, including parent meetings, home visits, parent-teacher conferences, and individual guidance regarding specific children (including those children at risk of expulsion)
Conducting targeted observation, assessment, and screenings as appropriate, as well as individual mental health intervention services for identified children as indicated and with specific consent of parent

For teachers, administrators, and staff

The Kid Connects program partners with licensed childcare homes and centers, as well as other early education sites (including Head Start and District preschools). We offer consultation support for teachers, administrators, and other staff by:

Helping educators better understand, recognize, and respond to children’s social/emotional needs
Supporting highly effective classroom practices
Facilitating team building with classroom staff
Managing conflict resolution between team members
Conducting observations of your classrooms as a whole, as well as individual children and collaboration with teachers
Planning with teachers to meet the needs of individual children or groups of children
Participating in teacher/parent conferences as requested
Helping teachers manage stress/mental health issues in an effort to assist staff to be more emotionally available to children and their families
Assisting in responding to those children at-risk of expulsion according to protocol and the child’s need

Expert-led workshops for caregivers and educators

We can provide on-site professional development trainings for teachers and parents that include self-reflection as a vehicle for understanding and supporting the work of social and emotional child development. Trainings include both formal presentations and informal learning opportunities focused on specific topics that are designed to meet the needs of early care settings.

Examples of previous trainings include:

Engaging Parents
Incorporating Reflective Practice in Care
Responding to Challenging Behaviors
Infusing Social/Emotional Development in Programs
Improving Staff Communication to Benefit Children
Responding to Children with Complex Needs
Building Resiliency in Teachers
How to Talk about Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

Finding help when and where you need it

Through our extensive network of local and state partnerships, our Kid Connects team can help coordinate referrals for further evaluation or other treatment resources for a child or family member – such as:

Coordinating transitions to other programs
Assisting in connecting with medical home, special education, early intervention and disabilities systems, and referral/linkage to other mental health supports as needed
Working with child welfare agencies to support reunification or other permanency planning
Scheduling primary health screenings (hearing, vision, dental, and developmental) and follow-up services provided to all families in partnership with early care settings

Referrals can be made by parents/caregivers, educators, healthcare providers, or community partners.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

More mental health support and information

Colorado Early Childhood Mental Health Support Line

The Early Childhood Mental Health Support Line is a no-cost, confidential resource for anyone who cares for children under six. Call the Support Line to get connected to an experienced consultant who can discuss your needs, help you identify support resources, and refer you to a team in your area.

Phone Number: (833) 326-4411 (ECMH411)

CDEC.Colorado.gov

ZERO TO THREE

A community of professionals from diverse disciplines focused on early child development who are committed to advancing their knowledge and skills by offering training, resources, tools, research, and solutions.

ZeroToThree.org